Saturday 29 Feb, Jamaica day 6, Port Antonio: Oana’s sudden illness holds us in place, and doctor comes onboard to sort her out.
Not a good morning. Oana started a fever last evening and this morning her temperature is up to 39degC. Although she looks the most unwell I’ve ever seen her, she insists that it’s nothing and we should head off as planned. But the next bay we aim for does not have much of a town for medical services, so Capt Glen makes an executive decision. We stay put until his favorite crew member has recovered.
George, the marina manager suggests a doctor and one phone call later Dr. Tracy Lumley is on her way, arriving to the boat in just 30 minutes. She’s really lovely, and reminds me of a Jamaican version of my gorgeous niece, Ruth, who is also a medic. Her triage is very thorough and Oana is quickly diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and is put on IV drip to rehydrate and get some antibiotics started. It all looks rather dramatic with Oana lying on the saloon settee with an IV bag hanging from the handrail! But I’m quite relieved we called the doctor and now know what the problem is. After the “dengue fever” notices we saw yesterday, and the doctor confirming Jamaica had an outbreak in the last year and a half, we are quite relieved it’s just a plain infection and not a tropical disease. I’ll have to be nurse as well as captain for the next day or two 🙂 And during this time I’m on WhatsApp with both my niece in UK and daughter (who is a doctor) in Australia. They both concur on the diagnosis and treatment being given. Which is comforting.
Not much to report for the rest of the day. Oana is pretty much asleep in the saloon all day while I potter and try to keep busy and keeping an eye on her.
Outside there is a drama or two. A sports fisher boat comes into the berth along side of us with no fenders out. He very narrowly missed hitting us but does crush his own boat against the dock. When I ask the local man driving it “where are your fenders” he replies “I don’t have any”. One of the reasons I don’t like marinas. After yesterday’s similar event, maybe “no fenders” is a national sport for the locally crewed boats.
Mid afternoon I pop out the hatch to find a guy in a navy looking uniform armed with an assault rifle on the dock, looking at Cloudy. When I ask him if something is up he says he is just looking around. Very odd. Maybe it’s something to do with the British billionaire Andy Currie arriving to his Hampshire super yacht today. The crew of the Hampshire are all dressed in their uniform today, milling around looking for any last spot on the vessel to clean. They spent most of the morning drying all 215ft of the boat after the rain this morning! On the various decks, beautiful furnishings have appeared, teak tables, lamps, rugs, cushions. It looks like a show boat. As the time nears for them to arrive I do some polishing of our own stainless steel so I can get a good view. As the VIP couple finally arrive from their executive jet, the crew all lines up on the deck to greet them. Surprisingly, the couple look very ordinary, dressed modestly, and they very pleasantly return their warm welcome with hugs to each crew member. Very nice to see.
As we are no longer leaving today, we get another visit from both customs and immigration to collect the checkout documents. They will reissue them again when we know the new departure day. I feel like I’m really getting to know these officials. It’s the third time they visit the boat now!
And that was about the extent of the day. Oana doesn’t seem much better at bed time, but her temperature is down to 38. I hope she will be more alive tomorrow.
